Thomas Campus - Mastery Schools

Your Neighborhood School in South Philadelphia

Welcome to Thomas Campus, a free, public charter school serving students in seventh through twelfth grades.

We provide rigorous academic instruction to our students and in school year 2019-2020, our school was recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for closing the achievement gap for students.

Our sophomore students participate in an internship program to explore various career pathways, and our upperclassmen can take AP classes and participate in a dual enrollment program to earn college credits while they are still in high school.

Students can also participate in extracurricular activities and athletic programs to enhance their school experience.

At Thomas, all students learn and thrive. With love and high expectations, we support them in finding their own paths to success.

680

Students

7-12

Grades

Our School

Our academically rigorous program prepares students for success after graduation.

Thomas Campus offers:

  • Varied Courses
      • Range of courses from introductory to college level
      • AP classes give students the opportunity to earn college credits
      • STEM Honors program
  • College and Career Prep
    • Sophomores compete an entrepreneurship course and participate in a business pitch competition
    • Seniors go on college visits, take a senior seminar course, get assistance applying for scholarships & loans and support with the college application process
    • Students graduate with a plan to enter college, the workforce or a pathway of their choice
  • Special Education Programming
    • We provide comprehensive special education programming to meet the individualized needs of each child, including:
      • Individualized Education Plans
      • Academic Interventions
      • Low Incidence Programs  (Autistic Support, Multiple Disabilities, Life Skills)
      • Emotional Support
      • English as a Second Language (ESL)
      • Psychological and Social Services

Thomas Campus students can participate in various extracurricular activities and athletic programs, including:

  • Art Club
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Book Club
  • Cross Country
  • eSports
  • Fishadelphia
  • Fitness Training
  • Flag Football
  • Football
  • Gender Sexuality Alliance
  • Mastery Gentlemen of Distinction, DIVAS
  • Multicultural Club
  • National Honors Society
  • Orchestra
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Student Government
  • Track and Field
  • Yearbook

Thomas Campus is part of the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) within the District XII Public League. Our middle school teams play in a variety of leagues across the city.

Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Thomas Campus. We give preference to students with siblings currently attending the school. First preference, however, is given to students living within the 19148 zip code, followed by students living within zip codes 19145, 19146, and 19147, followed by all other applicants. This is so we can serve as a neighborhood school, per our charter.

Thomas Campus is still accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year. Please follow the steps below to apply online:

  1. Visit Apply Philly Charter
  2. Log in or create an account
  3. Fill out your family profile and add your student
  4. Click on the Apply for September 2024 button
  5. Select Mastery Charter School: Thomas Campus as the school you would like to apply
  6. Submit your application

Have questions about our school or need help navigating the process? Complete and submit this form, and a Mastery enrollment specialist will reach out to answer your questions and help you apply.

Back to School 2024

View the uniform requirements for Thomas Campus students here.

Students should come to school prepared and ready to learn on a daily basis.

Please review the school supplies list below:

Basic supplies 

  • Pencils: Mechanical or traditional
  • Pens: Blue or black ink
  • Highlighters
  • Erasers

Organizational tools

  • Single subject notebooks (One per course)
  • Pocket folders for handouts, homework, and notes (One per course)

Specialty Items

  • Graphing calculator
    • TI-83 or TI-84 Plus with four (4) AAA batteries (Required for eighth through twelfth-grade math and chemistry courses)

Additional supplies 

  • Index cards

Students are encouraged to label their supplies with their initials to keep them easily identifiable. 

To be eligible to participate in fall sports at Mastery Schools, students must:

  • Have successfully matriculated to the next grade level
  • Not carry below a score of 65% in two (2) or more classes (including half-credit courses)
  • Complete the required CIPPE form (see below for details)

Eligibility is assessed bi-weekly by the Athletic Director. 

Required Forms: Before students can participate in practices, scrimmages, or games, the students and their families are required to complete sections 1-6 of a Comprehensive Initial Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation (CIPPE) form.

The document is available in English and Spanish, and the completed CIPPE form must be submitted to your school’s athletic director before tryouts.

Our Principal

Chanelle Baylor

Chanelle Baylor serves as the new principal of Thomas Campus. Before becoming the school's leader, she served as the school's assistant principal of operations and then stepped up as acting principal in 2024. Principal Baylor has a bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton and a master's degree from Lincoln University.
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School Leadership Team

Justin Bennett, Assistant Principal of Operations

Shaniqua Dunn, Assistant Principal of Specialized Services

Alex Garcia, Assistant Principal of Instruction 

Alicia Hutton, Assistant Principal of Instruction 

Jawan Newman, Assistant Principal of School Culture

Jessica Taylor, Assistant Principal of Instruction 

Staff Directory

"There's a charter school called Mastery in Philadelphia. And in just two years, three of the schools that Mastery has taken over have seen reading and math levels nearly double - in some cases, triple...Now, if a school like Mastery can do it, every troubled school can do it."
-President Barack Obama